Sign the Petition to

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Head Coach Mike Shanahan

We demand that you change the name of the Washington "Redskins" to a title that is culturally sensitive and respectful to all races.

The term 'redskin' has been used as a derogatory name for Native American people for centuries. It is no longer socially acceptable to use this name in reference to Native Americans, therefore it should not remain the mascot of a team in the National Football League.

Signed,

Not Your Mascots, Inc.

This petition closed 7 months ago

How this will help

The term "redskin" was originally used to describe the scalps of Native Americans, that were sold for profit by Bounty Hunters. These scalps were sold alongside animal skins therefore dehumanizing...

The term "redskin" was originally used to describe the scalps of Native Americans, that were sold for profit by Bounty Hunters. These scalps were sold alongside animal skins therefore dehumanizing and disrespecting the Native American people.

Once called the Boston Braves, the Redskins dawned the new name in 1933 when they joined the NFL and received a new coach William "Lone Star" Dietz. The coach, was of Sioux decent, and the new name 'redskins' was meant to honor him.

Today, the team may not intend for their name to be racist nor derogatory, but it is received as so by many communities nationwide. This argument has been considered for many other sports teams from the high school to national level and the Washington Redskins should not be an exception. As a national team, the Redskins should represent a the United States as a collective, remaining sensitive to all of the people who live here.

This argument has been brought to court before but the name was left unchanged, as the Judge claimed that a new name would disrupt the successful franchise of the team. Is making money really worth the discrimination of American people, and then advertised to the world?

Other teams that have changed their name on behalf of this argument are:

1997: The Miami University Mascot was changed from "The Redskins" to "The Redhawks"

1973: Eastern Washington University changed their mascot from "The Savages" to "The Eagles"